


Drape Me In Your Warmth

by YUNGBLOOD



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Mention of alcohol, Recreational Drug Use, Vernon is kind of dumb and doesn't know how to talk, its honestly the tiniest little bit of drug use, its literally so soft, once again its barely there, set in the late 80s, uhhhhh stupid soft children???, you could seriously miss it if you weren't looking for it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-02
Updated: 2018-01-02
Packaged: 2019-02-27 04:15:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,647
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13240215
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YUNGBLOOD/pseuds/YUNGBLOOD
Summary: Vernon gets cold easily, but Minghao heats him up with barely any effort





	Drape Me In Your Warmth

1989—1990

The cafe was warm enough to warm Vernon up, from the stinging tips of his icy fingers, all the way to his chest.

Or maybe that was just Minghao.

Vernon’s thick framed glasses fogged up as he got closer to Minghao; he was sitting alone in the booth by the corner, pouring over a textbook with his hands tangled up in his white bleached hair, obviously frustrated about it.

“Hey.” Vernon breathed out as he peeled his gloves and coat off before sliding into the seat across from Minghao.

Through the fog (that had been fading a bit) of his glasses, he saw Minghao look up and smile warmly. “‘Sup Vern.” He paused, taking in Vernon’s reddened cheeks and ears, the quick breaths that he was taking. “Cold, yeah?”

Vernon chuckled. “Hell yeah it’s cold. Should’ve gone to Florida instead of Iowa if I wanted warm weather, I guess.”

Minghao nodded at him and stretched his back. _This is good, Minghao is good_ , Vernon thought as he watched the latter tug his sweater back down over his stomach after the stretch.

For the short while that they’d known each other, Vernon enjoyed the little get togethers him and Minghao had quite regularly. It was nice to have someone to study with and complain about things with, especially when it was Minghao,

He didn’t seem that special to most people, maybe besides the bizarre colours he dyed his hair, but there were little things that Vernon liked about him. He liked the little accent he had while speaking, still adjusting to speaking English instead of the Chinese that he’d grown up speaking, he liked his cool and carefree demeanor, he liked his dancing and overall movement. He liked almost everything about Minghao, and Minghao didn’t know it.

“Fuck, man.” Minghao rubbed at is nose. “With midterms so close, I think I might actually just have to drop out of college. I can’t do this anymore.”

Vernon hummed. “What subject today?”

“Biology.”

Vernon grimaced, he knew exactly how Minghao was feeling, cause he definitely felt the same. “Wish I could help, but I’m pretty sure I’m close to failing bio.”

“That’s okay..” the corners of Minghao’s lips quirked up a little.  
From 3 ‘clock to 6:30, they stayed in the cafe, studying their respective subjects and keeping each other company.

Vernon cracked a joke, Minghao laughed, Vernon’s heart warmed.

Vernon was so whipped for this dude.

Tall and almost awkwardly lanky.

Minghao Xu.

Finals week was hectic and Vernon swore he failed all of his exams, but everyone felt that way. He was just happy to finish and be able to sleep, finally, after harrowing days spent testing and crying out of constant frustration.

Then he went home.

Home to see his sister, and mother, and father, and all his friends. Goddamn, he missed his friends more than he thought he would.

Most of the break that he had was spent with Mingyu, a childhood friend of his. They did one thing or the other, listened to songs on Mingyu’s walkman, visited places from when they were still young and stupid… or maybe just younger and stupider (God knew they were still so dumb).

And the talked, God they talked.

Mingyu’s face lit up as he spoke about the girl he was dating at the moment, canine tooth peeking out of his wide grin. She was tall, and pretty. Had little dips in her hips that he was absolutely obsessed with, a little waddle in her step that he loved, a weird sort of halfway smile that he’d die for.

Vernon didn’t mention Minghao.

He’d be up all night feeling giddy if he did.

Christmas passed, joyful and cold, and snow on the streets of New York that day.

When New Years came, Vernon was stuck in a house party, too stuffy, too hot, too many drunk people. He was high out of his mind when the clock struck 12 and his lips were pressed against some stranger.

They smelled like brown sugar.

Vernon decided then that he didn’t like brown sugar. He was unhappy because it smelled different than whatever scent he got from Minghao when the sat shoulder to shoulder with each other, watching television with each other on slow days, or when they laid on the floor of Vernon’s dorm together, pressed up up on each other and staring at the ceiling.

Then school rolled back around and he kissed his family and friends goodbye before he took a taxi to the airport.

He didn’t think he missed Iowa that much until he was stepping back into his dorm, but Vernon realized as soon as the damp smell of the building brought warm feelings to his heart.

Seungkwan was in their room already, unpacked and oh so happy to finally see Vernon again. They hugged each other and Vernon let Seungkwan tell him about his break, because that’s what Seungkwan did.

It was a surprise that their arrangement worked out so well. Seungkwan freaked Vernon out in the beginning with his loud, unashamed personality, but somehow, they’d become really good friends. Seungkwan was comparable to his best of childhood friends.

One of Seungkwan’s thousands of stories was cut short when Vernon left the dorm to go see Minghao. They’d agreed that they would meet at his dorm at 4, and 4 was nearing.

The cold, quick walk to the dorm had Vernon panting, and he had to stop for a second because he didn’t have his inhaler and he wasn’t gonna die right before seeing Minghao. He got over it in a second and continued the walk.

When he entered, Minghao’s roommate nodded in greeting and Vernon returned the gesture. He walked over to Minghao’s bed, where Minghao was sprawled out, playing something on a small hand console.

When Vernon sat on the edge of the bed, Minghao threw the console aside and sat up, greeting Vernon with his signature soft smile. “How was break?”

Vernon was still panting from the cold outside, and his ears were burning. He hoped his cheeks were still red as Minghao touched the tip of his finger to one of his ears before he spoke. “It was nice. My mom was really happy to see me.” Vernon laughed to himself a little when he remembered how happy his mother was. “How was yours?”

“The holiday’s with Jun’s family were…. They were something.” Minghao said. His eyes looked sad for a moment but they went back to happiness. “My parents couldn’t fly from China to here, but they went to Japan and sent me one of these.” Minghao held up the console he was playing with earlier.

Vernon’s eyebrows quirked up and his eyes widened. “A gameboy?” He eyed the toy and nodded. “I’m jealous.”

Minghao chuckled. “Don’t be.”

Eddie, Minghao’s roommate, left the room after a bit, murmuring something about being hungry. A comfortable silence followed.

“Hey,” Minghao said after a while. “I’ve got this goal for the new year.”

“What is it?”

Minghao gestured for him to come closer and leaned up against him so that he could whisper into Vernon’s ear. “Don’t freak out okay?”

Vernon wasn’t sure how to feel about that statement, because although Minghao was really nice and calm, he did tend to do things that would be concerning to an outside person. “Wha—”

Lips cut him off.

Minghao’s lips were so warm and soft and Vernon thought he would just die, because there was no way this was real.

Minghao, the guy he’d been utterly smitten with for months was kissing him, and he realized then that he was leaned back, arms behind him propping him up because he was so caught off guard.

And then Minghao was pulling away and fuck fuck fuck _fuck_ , Vernon felt so guilty because his lips hadn’t been moving and it wasn’t on purpose and he didn’t mean to—

Minghao chewed on his bottom lip, his eyes flickered down and his cheeks were dusted pink. “I uh…” He paused. “I just thought.. Sorry.”

Vernon’s eyes widened and he pushed his glasses up his nose bridge with his index finger and shook his head. “No I just.. I didn’t mean to?” He huffed out a breath. “Dammit Minghao Xu, I can’t believe you.” And then he was leaning over, reconnecting their lips, hand lifting MInghao’s face so that their lips could touch gently.

The kiss was short, but when they pulled away, they still felt as if they could hardly breathe.

Then Vernon slipped off the bed and onto the floor.

Minghao joined him.

And they were on the floor, together, holding hands, looking at the ceiling.

Because that’s what they always did.

Thought about stupid or serious things together while looking up as far as they could.

Vernon had butterflies in his tummy as he spoke. “Minghao, do you like me? Cause I like you. You know that right? That I like you _a lot_?” He rambled on.

Minghao paused and looked at Vernon. Vernon kept his eyes trained on the ceiling and tried not to notice Minghao’s eyes on him. “No, I don’t like you Vernon. I kissed you because we’re friends, and friends obviously kiss like that all the time.”

_“Ha-ha”_ Vernon answered blandly.

Minghao smiled and looked back up at the ceiling. “Yes, I like you. I want you to be my boyfriend.”

“Oh.”

Vernon looked at Minghao and he was sure that there were clouds in the room.

His glasses were fogging up again and his hoodie started feeling too hot, but that didn’t make any difference, because his body was prickling, right from where Minghao was holding his hand, all the way down to his toes.

“I’ll think about it.” He finally said.

 

 

And then Minghao punched him in the shoulder and Vernon laughed.

Yeah, Minghao made him feel warm.

**Author's Note:**

> It's the new year dudes, can you believe it? this is something I just like,,, kind of whipped up, so here, have it. My resolution for this year is to write a little more (I've gotten really out of practice) :)


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